Electromechanical paint remover



March 30, 1943. c. E. KING ELECTRO-MECHANICAL PAINT REMOVER Filed Feb. 25, 1940 Patented Mar. 30, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

My invention relates to a paint or varnish removing tool, and more particularly to a tool constructed for heating and scraping the paint or varnish from the work.

I am aware that many devices have been proposed heretofore for removing paint or varnish from wood or metal surfaces, but for the most part such devices embody means which do not remove the paint or varnish without the danger of injuring the work and are usually quite slow in operation. Many of the prior art devices provide heat for burning the paint or varnish and they do not provide for uniformly applying the heat to the Work and immediately removing same with a minimum of eiort and as thoroughly as is required.

An object of my present invention is to eliminate the difficulties aforesaid by providing an improved tool for removing paint, varnish or other coating adhering to a piece of work, in which the heat is uniformly applied to the work and is controlled to eliminate the danger oi' injury to the work during the process of removing paint or varnish from the surfaces thereof.

Another object of my present invention is to provide a tool of the character described, embodying a heating element mounted within a casing and so constructed and arranged as to heat the work face of the tool and the scraper blade in such a way as to make possible the eiiicient removal of paint or varnish from metal, wood or other surfaces with a minimum of time and labor and without danger of injuring the work surface.

A further object of my invention ls to facilitate the removal of paint, varnish, etc., from various pieces of work by providing a tool which serves to conduct heat substantially directly to the work for softening the paint or varnish and then scraping the softened paint or varnish from the work with one continuous stroke of the tool over the work.

Still further objects of my present invention are to facilitate the speedy removal of paint or varnish from work surfaces by providing an improved tool embodying various refinements and features of design which insure uniform results and in which the result may be economically manufactured and serviced.

For more detailed understanding of my invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing illustrating preferred embodiments of my invention, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of my improved tool,

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of' Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken on 3-4 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a scraper blade of modified construction.

Fig 5 is an elevational view of a further modied construction. and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary detail sectional view showing modied tube construction.

The tool herein illustrated preferably embodies an L-shaped structure A forming a casing into which is mounted a suitable heating means. The structure herein illustrated embodies an L-shaped cast shoe member B comprising a short leg portion l and a longer leg portion il. This shoe member is preferably provided with side flanges i2 which may be turned inwardly as at il. An electric heating element or coil i4 is embedded in refractory material I within this shoe member B. A boss II is carried by the shoe member and is drilled and tapped for receiving a screw or other suitable fastening device I1, for securing the cover plate Il to the shoe member. It will be noted that the cover plate IB is provided with side flanges I9 which t over the inturned side flanges i3 of the shoe member. A Work handle is preferably mounted on the cover plate adjacent the forwardv end of the shoe and I have provided means for attaching a scraper blade 4i to the forward end of the tool. This scraper blade 2| may be readily removed if desired. The blade 2i is used to scrape paint or varnish from surfaces adjacent to shoulders or abutments where it is impossible to work the rear blade. A cap 22 is secured to the inner open end of the tube by means of a screw 23 and it will be observed that a handle 24 is carried by this cap. This handle preferably consists oi' a pipe section which is screwed into a socket carried by the cap 22 and carries the electrical lead when wires 25 which may be connected with a temperature controlled thermostat 36 to which the electric heating coils i4 are electrically attached as at 21. These electric wires 25 extend through the pipe handle 24 and connect with a suitable electric connection 2B to permit the tool to be electrically worked up to a source of electric energy. A handle 29 is secured to the pipe 24 by means of a screw or other suitable fastening device 30 and may support a trigger switch 29a of conventional construction which will switch oif the current to the heating means when released. It will be noted that the heating coil I4 is nested within the shoe member and is uniformly spaced from the long leg portion Il including a work face lla for contact with the work, and with the upstanding leg portion I0. Preferably the upstanding leg portion Ill is provided with one or more windows or holes, or other suitable openings 3l, which allow the heat from the heating means to contact substantially directly with the rear scraper blade 32 adjustably secured to the short leg of the tool by means of screws 33 or other suitable fastening devices.

It will be noted that the blade 32 is provided with elongated slots 34 through which screws 33 extend', and preferably the inner face of the leg portion I of said shoe member is provided with a welded-on nut 35 or cast boss in order to provide suitable thickness to the shoe for anchoring the screws 33. It will also be noted that the upstanding leg portion I0 of the shoe is preferably manufactured to provide a suitable pad or surface for seating the scraper blade 32 and also that the thickness of the leg portion I0 in contact with the scraper blade is substantially thinner than the work face portion Il of the shoe.

It will be noted that substantially the entire surface of the scraper blade is in contact with the short leg of the shoe and that this scraper blade 32 and work face Il of the tool are heated to substantially the same temperature by direct conduction of the heat from the heating coil. It will also be noted that the work face Il of the tool may be slidably moved over the work substantially in contact with the paint or varnish coating on said work designated by reference character 36. As the tool is moved across the work, the forward end of the tool comes in contact with the paint and varnish and the lengthA of the work surface is determined so that as the tool is moved across the work the paint or varnish immediately ahead of the scraper is softened to the correct degree so as to be readily scraped or sheared from the surface 31 of the work piece 38 by the scraper edge 39 of the scraper 32. It is found that more satisfactory results can be obtained by conducting the heat directly to the paint or varnish and by utilizing a scraper which is heated by conduction from the heating element substantially to the same temperature as the work face of the tool, because the softened paint or varnish does not adhere to the scraper blade, and therefore there is no opportunity for the blade to become clogged or gummed up with paint, etc. The blade is substantially selfcleaning.

In removing varnish or other like coatings from a piece of work it is found desirable to provide openings in the blade and in Fig. 4 I have illustrated the modified scraper blade Aconstruction comprising a scraper blade 40 having transverse openings 4I located immediately above the scraper edge 42. Preferably the blades are in all instances provided with extended edge portions 10 adjacent the scraping edge, these extended portions preferably extending beyond the side walls of the ,tool proper so as to facilitate removal of paint.y or varnish in comers or other recessed surfaces.

Figs. 5' and 6 illustrate further modified constructions and by way of illustration Fig. 5 illustrates a scraper 43 having a scraper edge M which has a contour different from the flat edge illustrated in Figs. l to 4 inclusive. This scraper edge 44 may conform to the contour of the work and is expressly adapted for removing paint or varnish from moldings or special cross sections. In Fig. 6 the tool is provided with a convex work face 45, permitting the. contact of the tool with a piece of work having a grooved surface. Naturally the rear blade of the tool will have a similar convex shaped edge conforming to the forward work edge of the tool. This type of work face is uniformly heated by means of heating coils I6 which are substantially spaced equidistant from the inner surface of the work face as is the case with the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive.

It will be noted that the present tool may be grasped by the handles 20 and 29 and may be moved across the work, the heated work face of the tool being substantially in contact with the paint, varnish or other coating which is to be removed from the face of the work, at all times during the operation. It will thus be noted that the use of the tool is not affected by atmospheric conditions, and thus the tool may be used outdoors in extremely cold or windy weather as emciently as indoors. It will also be observed that'my present construction is a structure which can be economically manufactured and readily serviced with a minimum of expense.

The blades 32 are adjustable and readily removed when desired. The uniform heating of all the elements of the tool which come in contact with the paint, varnish or other coating which is to be removed from the work, insures a uniform and satisfactory result and provides a tool which may remove the coating from the work with a minimum of time and labor.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art to which my invention pertains, that various modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention or'from the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A device of the character described comprising a casing having a plane work face constructed for sliding movement substantially in contact with the work, a heating means within said casing for heating said work face whereby to conduct heat substantially directly to the work by conduction, a scraper blade secured to said casing to the rear of said plane work face and constructed to place substantially its entire surface in direct heat conducting relation with said heating means. said blade having a scavenge opening positioned immediately above the scraping edge of said blade.

2. A device of the character described comprising an L-shaped casing, the longer leg of said casing comprising an extended plane work face constructed for sliding movement substantially in entire contact with the work, a scraper blade secured to the shorter leg of said casing and provided with a scraping edge extending to the rear of and slightly beyond the surface of said plane work face, and heating means within the casing constructed and arranged in substantial direct heat conducting relation with respect to both said work face and scraper blade.

3. A device of the character described comprising an L-shaped casing, the longer leg of said casing comprising an extended plane work face constructed for sliding movement substantially in continuous contact with the work, a scraper blade secured to the shorter leg of said casing and provided with a scraping edge extending to the rear of and slightly beyond the surface of said plane work face, and heating means within the casing constructed and arranged in substantially direct heat conducting relation with respect to said work face and scraper blade, said shorter leg of said casing having a lesser thickness than said longer leg.

4. A device of the character described comprising an L-shaped casing, the longer leg of said casing comprising an extended plane work face constructed for sliding movement substantially in contact with the work, a scraper blade secured to the shorter leg of said casing and provided with a scraping edge extending to the rear of and slightly beyond the surface of said work face, and heating means within the casing constructed and arranged in substantially direct heat conducting relation with respect to both said plane work face and said scraper blade, said shorter leg of said casing having a lesser thickness than said longer leg, said scraper blade contacting with and overlying substantially the entire face of said shorter leg portion of lesser thickness.

5. A device of the character described comprising an L-shaped casing, the longer leg of said casing comprising an extended plane work face constructed for sliding movement substantially in continuous contact with the work, a scraper blade secured to the shorter leg of said casing and provided with a scraping edge extending to the rear of and slightly beyond the surface of said plane Work face, and heating means within the casing constructed and arranged in substantially direct heat conducting relation with respect to said Work face and scraper blade, said shorter leg of said casing having a lesser thickness than said longer leg, said shorter leg casing portion of lesser thickness having an opening therein to permit transference of heat from said heating means directly to said scraper.

6. In a. device of the character described, a casing, a scraper blade carried by said casing, said casing including a Work face constructed for sliding movement substantially in contact with the work ahead of the blade, said scraper blade secured to said casing at an acute angle with respect to said work face said blade and work face constructed for simultaneous operation on said work, and heating means Within the casing constructed and arranged in substantial direct heat conducting relation with respect to both said work face and the at face of said scraper blade.

'7. In a device of the character described, a casing, a scraper blade carried by said casing, said casing including a plane work face constructed for sliding movement substantially in contact with the work ahead of said blade, said scraper blade fixed at an angle with respect to said plane work face, and heating means within the casing constructed and arranged in substantial direct heat conducting relation with respect to both said plane work face and said scraper blade, said scraper blade having extended foot portions adjacent the scraping edge of the blade, the width of said blade through said foot portions being greater than the width of the plane work face of said casing.

CHARLES E. KING. 

